Image gallery

Image gallery

"The vibe was homemade and slightly rebellious," says Amy. An atmosphere that's reflected in the pastel hued images of homemade decor and laughter. Bride, Amy, tells us about the big day.

Tell us about the proposal.We went on holiday to Marrakesh in October 2012 with friends, staying in a beautiful little riad in the Medina quarter. After a hard day’s shopping in the souk, we were relaxing on the roof terrace having a glass of wine and Joseph surprised me by popping the question. He then whisked me off to a fabulous restaurant for food and belly dancing in the Jemaa el-Fnaa.

What did you want and plan for the day?We wanted an intimate day with close friends and family, a day that was relaxed but reflected our style: think Camden Market meets the Great Gastby.

Let’s skip ahead to the part everyone’s waiting for – tell us about the big day!I woke up on Friday morning in the bridal suite of the beautiful art deco St Giles House Hotel, in Norwich, and enjoyed a sumptuous bath sipping champagne with my bridesmaid, Lauren.By mid-morning my bridesmaids had arrived and the fabulous Leanne Maddock worked her magic on my hair and makeup as our guests began to arrive downstairs.We chose St Giles House because it is one of the most striking buildings in Norwich with its grand facade and elegant interiors. The ceremony took place in the ‘The Walnut Suite’, with its ornate wood panelling, spectacular glass dome and enormous crystal chandelier. With a room that handsome it needed little in the way of decoration, so we made simple cones of petals and tied sprigs of baby’s breath to the chairs.

Did the ceremony go off without a hitch?The ceremony was simple and went off without a hitch other that the Registrar confusing Joseph’s name for his brother’s, which almost made the day memorable for all of the wrong reasons! After the ceremony our guests gathered for Prosecco in the sun on the Parisian style terrace while photographer, Chris Bottrell, took informal family photos in the gorgeous lounge.

Did you have your reception in the same location?Transporting our guests to the reception was problem solved with the help of the amazing First Buses who took man, woman and child on a mystery tour - last stop, The Mulberry on Unthank Road, Norwich. After quite a formal ceremony we wanted an informal reception. The Mulberry provided a perfect venue with its lovely lawn and mismatched interior. The staff made an already wonderful venue elevated – it looked stunning, with our homemade decorations arranged for us.

I notice your bridesmaids were mismatched – what tied them together?I had five friends and a flower girl, who I wanted to be part of our special day, but really struggled with finding a style that suited them all (one was also pregnant), and made them comfortable… especially as they all had such different style. In the end we decided they could wear whatever they wanted and gave them hand tied white roses so that they would go with whatever colour they wanted to wear.

Where were the bride’s dress, groom’s suit and bridesmaids’ dresses from?Bride’s dress - After deciding I wouldn't spend silly money on a wedding dress and would go second hand, a friend convinced me to go to La Creme in Norwich to just find out what sort of style I like. But I ended up falling in love with a dress and couldn't say no!

What fashion route did Joseph take?Joseph wanted a suit that he would be comfortable in all day and not the standard suits that people hire. We opted for a blue suit for him and his two best men from H&M and pink polka dot bow ties which fitted our criteria perfectly.

What were your wedding favours, and food?The vibe was homemade and slightly rebellious with home potted chilli plant favours, plates of meat, pork pies and port toasts. We didn't want a formal meal with seating plans, and wanted everyone to mingle and do what they wanted, but we wanted great tasting and locally-sourced food. The Mulberry kitchen was amazing and created a tasty BBQ after the ceremony with homemade breads, sauces and pulled pork burgers. Later in the evening we had trays of homemade pork pies (Joseph's favourite), meats, cheese and breads to keep everyone going into the early hours.

You mentioned homemade decorations - what did you use?Most of the decorations were homemade, from tissue paper pom-poms, button encrusted jars for tea lights to hessian bunting and plants in old cups and saucers. We also attached our SLR to a tripod and created our own photo booth with vintage suitcases filled with wigs, hats and moustaches.

How did you go about choosing a wedding cake to fit with your laid-back day?We had mentioned to the Mulberry how we weren't bothered by a traditional wedding cake, and were thinking of going down the route of a Victoria Sponge tower (apparently called an 'open cake'). The chef offered to make one for us, which we popped a couple of china love birds on.

How did the rest of the day play out?The speeches were casual with everyone given glasses of port rather than the traditional bubbles. Then we got down to the main event; drinking and dancing.

Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?You don't have to conform to traditional wedding ideas and spend a fortune to have an amazing day.